Walker, Womanism and The Color Purple

Neelam Nepal
Department of English
Tribhuvan Multiple Campus
Tansen, Palpa
e!ogni"ed as one of the leading voi!es among bla!k #meri!an $omen $riters, #li!e
Walker has produ!ed various $orks, in!luding poetr%, novels, short stories, essa%s, and !riti!ism&
'er $ritings portra% the struggle of bla!k people throughout histor%, and are praised for their
insightful portraits of bla!k life, in parti!ular the e(perien!es of bla!k $omen in a se(ist and
ra!ist so!iet%& )n her $riting, she e(plores the issue of the spiritual survival of bla!k people, in
parti!ular, bla!k $omen& )n her essa%, she $rites, *) am preo!!upied $ith the spiritual survival
$hole of m% people+) am !ommitted to e(ploring the oppressions, the insanities, the lo%alties,
and the triumphs of bla!k $omen*,)n sear!h of -ur Mother.s /arden 0123& To address the issues
of bla!k $omen in #meri!a she introdu!es a term 4$omanism5 in her !olle!tion of essa%s
entitled In Search of Our Mothers Garden& 6he regards this !on!ept as a more vital and a!!urate
des!ription of bla!k #meri!an $omen5s ethos in !ontrast to feminism, $hi!h is predominantl%
$hite middle7!lass $omen5s perspe!tive& 6in!e the time of slaver%, bla!k $omanhood has been
destro%ed, distorted, dismantled and abused $ith ra!ial, se(ual and inhuman pra!ti!es b% bla!k
men and $hite men and $omen& )n the pro!ess, the% have lost their genuine *self*, and have
developed a *double !ons!iousness*& W&E&8&Du8ois !alls this as *this sense of al$a%s looking at
one.s self through the e%es of others, of measuring one.s soul b% the tape of a $orld that looks on
in amused !ontempt and pit%* ,9:3& The% see themselves $ith the e%es of $hite men and $omen
and bla!k men& This has ultimatel% been responsible for the destru!tion of their self7!onfiden!e
and the feeling of being human& 6in!e bla!k $omen fa!e a multifa!eted oppression that is
manifested in ra!ism, se(ism and !lassism, she finds the term 4$omanism5 espe!iall% important
to define and e(press the parti!ularit% of their e(perien!e&
Walker gives four definitions of the term 4$omanist5 in her !olle!tion of essa%s In
Search of Our Mothers Garden;
0& <rom womanish& ,-pp& of girlish, i&e& frivolous, irresponsible, not serious&3
# bla!k feminist or feminist of !olor& <rom the bla!k folk e(pression of mothers
to female !hildren, %ou a!ting $omanish, i&e&, like a $oman& =suall% referring
to outrageous, auda!ious, !ourageous or willful behavior& Wanting to kno$ more
and in greater depth than is !onsidered good for one& )nterested in gro$n up
doings& #!ting gro$n up& 8eing gro$n up& )nter!hangeable $ith another bla!k
folk e(pression; >ou tr%ing to be gro$n& esponsible& )n !harge& Serious&
2& Also: # $oman $ho loves other $omen, se(uall% and?or nonse(uall%&
#ppre!iates and prefers $omen5s !ulture, $omen5s emotional fle(ibilit% ,values
tears as natural !ounterbalan!e of laughter3, and $omen5s strength& 6ometimes
loves individual men, se(uall% and?or nonse(uall%& Committed to survival and
$holeness of entire people, male and female& Not a separatist, e(!ept
periodi!all%, for health& Traditionall% a universalist, as in; Mama, $h% are $e
bro$n, pink, and %ello$, and our !ousins are $hite, beige and bla!k@ #ns&
Well, %ou kno$ the !olored ra!e is Aust like a flo$er garden, $ith ever% !olor
flo$er represented& Traditionall% !apable, as in; Mama, )5m $alking to Canada
and )5m taking %ou and a bun!h of other slaves $ith me& epl%; )t $ouldn5t be
the first time&
B& Coves musi!& Coves dan!e& Coves the moon& Loves the 6pirit& Coves love and
food and roundness& Coves struggle& Loves the <olk& Coves herself& e!ardless"
9& Womanist is to feminist as purple is to lavender& ,(i7(ii3
Walker stresses on the three main prin!iples for the $omanist a!tion& The first one is
auda!iousness, in other $ords, $omen5s rebellion against oppression& )t is important for #fri!an7
#meri!an $oman to defend herself against the uneDual !onditions in the so!iet%& #uda!iousness
is an important behavior for $omanists& The se!ond important prin!iple is $oman7!enteredness&
With $oman !enteredness, Walker aims to dra$ attention to the fa!t that the bla!k $omanhood
is ver% important be!ause it supports the self7!onfiden!e and !lose relationships of bla!k $omen
so that their po$er to sear!h and prote!t their identities $ill be in!reased& The bla!k $oman is
important, be!ause she is bla!k and oppressed and limited to live in !ertain !ir!umstan!esE so she
is the !arrier of her o$n !ulture& #llan sa%s; Woman7!enteredness mirrors to the $omanist the
fragmented $orld around her and the need to seek !onne!tion ,023& The third important
prin!iple is $holesomeness& )t is observed that to end oppression in so!iet%, unit% in 8la!k
!ommunit% is important& 8la!k histor% is full of ps%!hologi!al and ph%si!al abuses b% the
oppressing $hite people and patriar!h% and be!ause of that, bla!k people insist on their unit% in
spite of some divisions among them& )t is suggested that in $holesomeness, the unit% of self and
other is essentialE in other $ords, #fro7#meri!an $omen should both adopt their #fri!an and
#meri!an identities and keep it in one bod%&
Walker fo!uses on the fa!t that $omanism stems from the ra!ial issues and gender
oppression& )n !onne!tion $ith $omanism she uses another term 4$omanish5& The term
$omanish, related $ith $omanism, is used for the girls $ho $ant to kno$ more, and be free
from !onfining limits& 6he defines a $omanist as a bla!k feminist or feminist of !olor, an
outrageous and auda!ious $oman $ho is interested in learning and Duestioning all things& #
$omanist is a responsible $oman $ho loves other $omen both se(uall% and non7se(uall%, a
$oman $ho appre!iates and prefers $omen5s !ulture, strength and emotional fle(ibilit%& 6he
fo!uses on the importan!e of edu!ation of the bla!k sisterhood, and the ultimate goal of survival
$hole of her people& Womanish girls a!t freel% in !ourageous $a%s disregarding the limits that
$hite $omen have set for them& The% are responsible and serious in their a!tions although the%
a!t freel%& The% see /od in all natural things and are at the same time !reative& While Walker
e(amines the term $omanish, it is !lear that $omanism is superior to feminism, be!ause
$omanism believes in the eDualit% of different ra!es& The e(perien!es of bla!k $omen differ
from $hitesE so a!!ording to her, being $omanist is different from being feminist& #lthough
$omanism, in some aspe!ts, is !lose to feminism, it !an be !learl% observed that bla!k $omen5s
ideals and $hite $omen5s ideals are differentE and be!ause of that, bla!k $omen are $omanist,
$hite $omen are feminist&
)t is evident, from these four definitions, that bla!k $omanism !elebrates bla!kness,
bla!k roots, the aspirations of bla!k people, and presents a balan!ed pi!ture of bla!k
$omanhood& )n her definition of Womanism, Walker most importantl% sket!hes bla!k $omen as
beautiful and strong beings $ithout denoun!ing men or $hite people in the pro!ess& #s Davis
puts it;
Through her four7part definition, FWalkerG dra$s her reader5s attention to the
importan!e of $omen5s intelle!tual, ph%si!al, emotional, and spiritual $holeness,
and she stresses the need to !reate a global !ommunit% $here all members of
so!iet% are en!ouraged to survive and survive $hole& Madhu Dube% argues that
Walker.s $omanist proAe!t seeks to integrate the past and present, individual and
!ommunit%, personal and politi!al !hange, into a unified $hole& ,BB3
Womanism suggests a distinguishing aspe!t that e(amines gender issues $ithin #fri!an
#meri!an !ommunities& )t brings both males and females together and supports the $holeness of
entire people, but gives importan!e, mostl%, to ra!e& ather than supporting separatism,
$omanism promotes universalism& Moreover, $omanism appears to provide an avenue for the
gro$th of stronger relationships bet$een bla!k $omen and bla!k men& Walker universali"es
$hat are t%pi!all% seen as individual struggles& <eminists generall% believe that motherhood is a
!entral issue in feminism& Man% $estern feminists deem that it is motherhood that leads to
$omen5s oppression& Their vie$ is sharpl% different from that of #fri!an #meri!an& )n #fri!an
#meri!an !ulture, motherhood !enters upon the empo$erment of !hildren and it is a site of
po$er for bla!k $omen& #s a bla!k female $riter, #li!e Walker !elebrates motherhood and
!onsiders it as an important aspe!t of her theor% of $omanism&
The present arti!le aims to e(amine ho$ #li!e Walker embodies her $omanist ideas
through the !hara!teri"ation of $omen in her novel The Color Purple& The novel is about being a
$oman and a bla!k in a se(ist and ra!ist so!iet%& )t !hroni!les the life of a poor and abused
southern bla!k $oman $ho eventuall% triumphs over oppression through affirming female
relationships& The main !hara!ter of the novel is Celie, a poor, unedu!ated and bla!k $oman
living in the #meri!an 6outh& 6he is repeatedl% raped b% her stepfather, #lfonso& #fter raping he
threatens her not to tell about it to an%bod%& This paternal threat !ompletel% silen!es Celie& 'e
uses ever% means to silen!e her& 'e deprives her of s!hooling and makes sure that even the little
she speaks $ill be doubted& Cater she be!omes the $ife of Mr& 77777, another father figure in her
life, $ho also !ontinues to e(ploit her in different $a%s& There too she be!omes the vi!tim of
se(ual violen!e& <or her the se( $ith Mr& 77777 is like rape& Told b% her stepfather that she had
better tell no one but /od, about the rape, Celie starts $riting letters to /od& The $hole bod% of
the novel.s te(t !onsists of Celie.s letters to /od, then to her sister Nettie, and of Nettie.s letters to
Celie& #fter her !hildren have been taken a$a% b% her stepfather and her sister Nettie has been
for!ed to leave, Celie is totall% alone& 6he is ph%si!all% and ps%!hologi!all% oppressed&
'er life takes a different turn $hen she enters a !ommunit% of $omen& )n the !ompan% of
other $omen she graduall% a!Duires a sense of self& Celie does not en!ounter an% e(traordinar%
$omen until she enters into her adulthood& 'er first glimpse of female e(isten!e be%ond that of
battered $ife or slave is through 6ofia, the big and outspoken $ife of her stepson 'arpo& Celie
puts her hopes in an afterlife, but 6ofia sees things differentl%; *>ou ought to bash Mr& 777 head
open+ Think about heaven later*,993& Celie.s transformation is furthered b% 6hug #ver%&
Despite 6hug.s *evil,* nature, her entran!e into Celie.s life represents the emergen!e of a ne$
religious !ons!iousness; *) $ash her bod%, it feel like ).m pra%ing* ,:03& #nd surprisingl%, 6hug.s
presen!e seems to lessen the tension bet$een Celie and Mr& 77777E their !o7!ommitment to her
health marks a ne$ understanding in their relationship& 6hug.s presen!e also marks Celie.s abilit%
to !on!eptuali"e things differentl%, to imagine another real e(isten!e; *<irst time ) think about
the $orld* ,HI3&
6hug #ver%, a se(% and snapp% blues singer, pla%s a !ru!ial role in Celie.s
metamorphosis& 6he is the perfe!t embodiment of $hat Walker !alls a $omanist& #nd it is she
$ho leads Celie to$ards the $omanist ideals& 6hug #ver% is a $oman $ho does $hatever she
$ants $henever she $ants& 6he is a free spirit but she does have values and is a maAor
!ontributor in the transformation of Celie& 6hug enAo%s her life and tries to spread the happiness
to those around her& 6he is a$are of her o$n ph%si!al beaut% and uses it to !ontrol men& <or
$omen like Celie, it isn5t that eas%& Celie5s father tells #lbert, 6he ugl%& 6he ain5t smart
either& ,13& This is $here Celie develops her lo$ self7esteem& 6hug tries to make Celie reali"e
that she is a beautiful person b% getting to kno$ her and loving her& 6hug is an admirable
$oman be!ause of her abilit% to love others& 6he tells Celie, )f %ou $as m% $ife, )5d !over %ou
$ith kisses instead of li!ks and $ork hard for %ou too,,00:3 and later sa%s, ) love %ou, Miss
Celie& ,00J3& 'ere Celie reali"es that she is a lovable person and not the $orthless $oman she
on!e thought she $as&
6hug.s lifest%le is a reAe!tion of the values of the Christian7based !ommunit%, and
suggests both marginali"ation and survival& Despite her horrible !ondition $hen she enters
Celie.s household, she finds a $a% to endure& Celie sa%s, #in.t nothing $rong $ith 6hug #ver%&
6he Aust si!k& 6i!ker than an%bod% ) ever seen& 6he si!ker than m% mama $as $hen she die& 8ut
she more evil than m% mama and that keep her alive ,913&
With 6hug..s en!ouragement Celie even defies Mr&KKK& -n dis!overing that #lbert has for
%ears inter!epted Nettie.s letters, Celie feels a !ompulsive urge to slit his throat7 $ith his ra"or&
6he $ants to see him *falling dead* ,02:3& 6he sa%s; *'o$ i.m gon keep from killing him*
,0:I3& 8ut 6hug takes her into se$ing instead, into holding a *needle and not a ra"or* ,0:B3& The
violent behavior that Celie had thought ne!essar% to deal $ith #lbert gives $a% to artisti!
impulse& With the help of 6hug, Celie enters into the $orld of !reation7 designing unise( pants&
Margaret Walsh refers to 6hug as Celie.s *magi! helper* $ho helps !elie !ome out of the
t%rann% of Patriar!hal so!iet% ,1I3& Celie develops talent for se$ing, $hi!h later on brings
mental, e!onomi! and so!ial freedom&
6hug.s attentions to Celie are !ru!ial to Celie.s emergent self7identifi!ation& 6ignifi!antl%,
6hug as *$riter* dra$s attention to Celie& 'er *Miss Celie.s song* sho$s her importan!e in
Celie.s gro$ing self7a$areness; *<irst time somebod% made something and name it after me*
,H:3& 6till, 6hug.s !ontribution to this naming and liberating pro!ess is limited& Cike 6ophia,
6hug !annot provide Celie $ith her distin!tive individualit%& 8ut b% en!ouraging Celie to
provide this ans$er for herself and to reAe!t the 8ibli!al inAun!tions, 6hug, like 6ophia,
parti!ipates in the theologi!al !learing& Celie learns to *!hase that old $hite man out of FherG
head* ,2I93 and re!ogni"e her o$n .divine. humanit% 7 her o$n !apa!it% for Ao%, freedom,
!ontrol, autonom% and love&
<rom earl% adoles!en!e to adulthood Celie asso!iates the bibli!al /od $ith the men she
kno$s77men $ho have been oppressive and !ruell% insensitive to her& The male7bull%ing and
domination begin for Celie at fourteen $hen the man she thinks is *Pa* rapes her on at least t$o
o!!asions, rendering her unable to ever again bear !hildren& The trauma of this event remains
entren!hed in Celie.s mind, !ausing her to still !r% in her adulthood& 6he sa%s, *6eem like it all
!ome ba!k to me, la%ing there in 6hug.s arms& 'o$ it hurt and ho$ mu!h ) $as surprise& 'o$ it
stung $hile ) finish trimming his hair& 'o$ the blood drip do$n m% leg and mess up m%
sto!king& 'o$ he don.t never look at me straight after that* ,00L3&
This assault develops into an oppressive vie$ of men, parti!ularl% of the father figure, for
Celie& Celie $onders $hether her father killed her vanished !hild& 6he also begins to asso!iate
/od the <ather $ith the murderer of her !hildren& When her mother asks $here the bab% is, Celie
replies; */od took it&* To herself she refle!ts; *'e F /odG took it& 'e took it $hile ) $as sleeping&
Milt it out there in the $oods& Mill this one too, if he !an* ,B3& 6ubtl% and at an earl% age, Celie.s
notion of the monotheisti!, bibli!al /od also begins to be affiliated $ith fear and violen!e,
mirroring her !on!eption of her father, and ne(t of Mr& 77777&
Thus, it is not surprising that as an adult, Celie likens the monotheisti! Nudeo7Christian
/od, $hom she kno$s to be distin!tivel% male, to the same burdensome traits of all males, as
she remarks to 6hug; *the /od ) been pra%ing and $riting to is a man& #nd a!t Aust like all the
other mens ) kno$& Trifling, forgitful, and lo$do$n* ,0113& This /od keeps Celie in !onstant
fear of being punished, bridling her into subordinationE be!ause Celie has been dis!arded b% this
*old $hite man* ,2I03& 6hug.s lesson for Celie in!ludes re!ogni"ing that */od* isn.t ne!essaril%
to be found in the institutional !hur!h, nor should *its* image be old, $hite, and male& 6he tries
to subvert the patriar!hal !ulture b% Duestioning the traditional theolog%&
Most radi!all%, 6hug reAe!ts anthropomorphi! !on!eptions !ompletel%;
'ere.s the thing, sa% 6hug& The thing ) believe& /od is inside %ou and inside
ever%bod% else& >ou !ome into the $orld $ith /od& 8ut onl% them that sear!h for
it inside find it& #nd sometimes it Aust manifest itself even if %ou not looking, or
don.t kno$ $hat %ou looking for& &&& )t@ ) ast&
>eah, )t& /od ain.t a he or a she, but a )t& ,2I23
6hug totall% !hanges Celie.s ideas about /od& <or her, /od is present in all !reation;
*/od is ever%thing+Ever%thing that is or ever $as or ever $ill be*,2I23& This ne$ philosoph%
that positions Celie as *being part of ever%thing, not separate at all* ,2IB3, fortifies her $ith self7
a!!eptan!e and leads her to reAe!t male master%& When Mr& 77777 asserts Celie.s lo$ status on the
$hite, patriar!hal s!ale77*>ou bla!k, %ou pore, %ou ugl%, %ou a $oman* ,20B37it is the nature7
/od that literall% enables her to speak and fight ba!k& #s Celie !urses Mr& 77777, she feels the
strength *seem to !ome to me from the trees* ,20B3& #s Mr& 7777 attempts to reassert his
dominan!e, Celie defies against established hierar!h%; *).m pore, ).m bla!k, ) ma% be ugl% and
!an.t !ook& & & & 8ut ).m here*,2093& Celie affirms that although she does not fulfill the standards
set b% the male7dominated $orld $hi!h surrounds her, her e(isten!e matters& Celie.s final letter
is addressed, *Dear /od& Dear stars, dear trees, dear sk%, dear peoples& Dear Ever%thing& Dear
/od* ,2123& The novel.s !on!lusion emphasi"es Celie.s dis!over% that /od is in ever%thing, and
therefore ever%thing is hol%, a !on!ept that defies an% sense of hierar!hal stru!ture& 6hug e(tends
the realm of the sa!red to in!lude all of !reation, and she provides Celie $ith a bridge to a ne$
spiritualit% free from the domination of an angr%, $hite, male /od& Thus Celie.s movement from
monotheism to pantheism parallels her movement from feelings of isolation and inferiorit% under
male authorit% figures, into a ne$ sense of bonding $ith other $omen and appre!iation of
herself&
#nother important feature relevant for Celie.s metamorphosis is her initiation into
eroti!ism& 8efore her en!ounter $ith 6hug, Celie does not reali"e the pleasures that she !an get
from her bod%& 6he reports to 6hug ho$ she felt $hen her husband had se(ual relationship $ith
her& That a!t $as like rape for her& 6he $as not a!tuall% parti!ipating in that se(& 6he $as Aust an
obAe!t in the hand of both Pa and #lbert& When 6hug !omes in her life, Celie slo$l% begins to
take interest in 6hug.s life ho$ever $a%$ard her life might be& 6he falls in love $ith the image
of 6hug on a photograph, before she a!tuall% sees her& #s she stares at the photograph, she
remarks, 6hug #ver% $as a $oman& The most beautiful Woman ) ever sa$& 6he more prett%
than m% Mama& 6he about ten thousand times more prett% than me F+G ) ast her ,Celie.s mother3
to give me the pi!ture& #ll night long ) stare at it& #nd no$ $hen ) dream, ) dream of 6hug
#ver%& 6he be dressed to kill, $hirling and laughing ,L3&
Celie finds 6hug prettier, more outrageous and full of life& 6he be!omes Celie.s first
love& 8ut at this moment her love for Celie seems highl% ideali"ed and ina!!essible& Cu!kil% one
da% Mr& 777 brings ailing 6hug to his house& Celie gets an opportunit% to mother her love& The
$omen develop a mutuall% loving and nurturing relationship& With the help of 6hug,
Celie reali"es the m%steries of the bod% and se(ual e(perien!e and makes it possible for her to
dis!over spee!h and her $a% to the freedom from mas!uline brutalit%& 6he tea!hes Celie to
admire her bod% and get pleasures $ithout guilt or repression& Cinda #bbandonato $rites; *)n
loving 6hug, Celie be!omes a desiring subAe!t, and in being loved b% 6hug, she is made visible
to herself as an obAe!t of desire* ,00023& 6hug also helps to make Celie a$are of her o$n
se(ualit%, and ironi!all% *redefines* her as *virgin* ,J03& 6hug asks Celie to see herself in the
mirror& <or the first time she is !ons!ious of her o$n bod%& The follo$ing lines depi!t the se(ual
a$akening of Celie;
) lie ba!k on the bed and haul up m% dress& >ank do$n m% bloomers& 6ti!k the
looking glass t$een m% legs& =gh& #ll that hair& Then m% puss% lips be bla!k&
Then inside look like a $et rose&
+) look at her and tou!h it $ith m% finger& # little shiver go through me& Nust
enough to tell me this the right button to mash& ,J23
# lesbian relationship gro$s bet$een Celie and 6hug& )n <eminist movement to eradi!ate
heterose(ism7!ompulsor% heterose(ualit%7is !entral to efforts to end se(ual oppression& 8ell
'ooks $rites; *#ffirming lesbianism, $omen of varied se(ual preferen!es resist the perpetuation
of !ompulsor% heterose(ualit%* ,:I3& No$ she reali"es the differen!e bet$een se(ual abuse and
se(ual pleasure& <or the first time Celie e(perien!es the se(ual orgasm& )t is a kind of !elie.s
rebirth& No$ Celie.s dreams of se(ual bliss are reali"ed& <or Celie, 6hug.s eDuation of spiritual
a$akening $ith se(ual arousal is sho!king& 6hug.s religion in!ludes man% $a%s of praising /od
that the traditional religion !onsiders sinful, %et all are in keeping $ith her basi! idea that /od
$ants people to appre!iate the good things of the $orld, in!luding se(ual pleasure, musi! and
dan!ing, the $onders of nature, and the Color Purple in a field* ,2IB3& 6he learns to noti!e .the
!olor purple in the field., so that she !an no longer dismiss her life as merel% the sum of her
oppression or a!!ept suffering as her destin%&
6hug enlightens Celie b% !ommenting, */od love all them feeling* ,2IB3, meaning the
un!ommon se(ual love bet$een $omen& 8ut /od !annot be limited in eroti! emotions onl%& 'e
is anno%ed if * %ou $alk b% The Color Purple in a field some$here and don.t noti!e it* ,2IB3&
'ere the religion prea!hed b% male priests to limit $omen is negated& Compulsor%
heterose(ualit% enfor!es Celie.s subAugation and erases her subAe!tivit%& 6o she adopts
homose(ualit% as a means to define her and breaks the taboo against it&
Celie breaks the silen!e imposed upon her b% the patriar!h%& Celie emerges as a ne$
$oman $ho follo$s her o$n god, enAo%s lesbian relationship and speaks her o$n language& 6he
no longer follo$s the oppressor.s language for this language often !auses !onfusion& Thus Celie.s
metamorphosis suggests an alternative possibilit% for $omen and at the same time Duestions the
validit% of patriar!hal dis!ourse& #t the end of the novel Celie starts her o$n business of pant
making& 6e$ing fun!tions as a !onne!tion among !hara!ters& Even #lbert is se$ing too& Through
se$ing #lbert be!omes part of !elie.s !ommunit%& 'e engages in feminine a!tivities and is part
of feminine language& With this Walker envisions broader possibilities for so!ial !hange& 6he
sho$s the possibilit% that the so!iet% !an move to$ard a more eDuitable relationship bet$een the
se(es&
Works Cited;
#bbandonato, Cinda& *# Oie$ from .Else$here.; 6ubversive 6e(ualit% and the e$riting of the
'eroine.s 6tor% in The Color Purple&* PMLA 106 (1991): 1106-1115.
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